Title: The intrinsic functional organization of brain activity.
Session: Symposia
Speaker: Shella Keilholz
Abstract: The intrinsic activity of the brain accounts for the bulk of the brain's energy usage and influences perception and behaviour. Many analysis methods can be used to describe the structure of the intrinsic activity (e.g., functional networks, functional connectivity gradients), each of which relies on an implicit model of the brain's organization--but which is the 'right' model? We consider the brain as a complex system and describe a few spatiotemporal patterns that account for most of the features observed across a variety of analysis methods, demonstrating that this model provides a concise description of the large-scale features of intrinsic activity. Preliminary investigations into the mechanisms that coordinate these whole-brain patterns implicate both the structural network of the brain and widespread neuromodulation by deep brain nuclei.
